Reala: Beyond Nightmares
by Droiture LeReve
Summary: Reala is sick and tired of the abusive way Wizeman treats him, so he goes to none other than NiGHTS for help. NiGHTS agrees to take the poor guy in, but at what cost? Will be rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Note: Am I the only one gutsy enough to write something like this? I've looked through the entire NiGHTS archive and seen nothing of this. Come on, folks, I'll start the trend!

I don't own NiGHTS, Reala, or the franchise of NiGHTS. And, just for this story, my first NiGHTS story, I will just be typing it as Nights, because it gets a bit irritating after a while to just lowercase the "i" when I could just type it as a normal name. This may be my only NiGHTS story, but if it's not, all my other NiGHTS stories will be written as NiGHTS. Or maybe not. We'll see, 'cause I'm nuts and change my ideas so often. Plus, I DON'T CARE WHAT SEGA SAYS! NiGHTS WILL ALWAYS BE MALE TO ME. I DON'T CARE WHAT HIS NEW VOICE SOUNDS LIKE. HE'S A DUDE! -cough- Okay.

Chapter One: Um... Chapter One. WhOoO!!! I'm original!

Reala quietly slipped the window open and slid outside, quietly closing the window behind him. He got his pointy jester hat caught at one point but yanked it free before he hurt himself. He sputtered a bit over the sky like a broken airplane before flying off into the night sky. His black and red form was nearly invisible against the morphing sky.

Reala came to a stop in Nightopia. He rattled the bars of a familiar-looking golden cage.

"Reala? What the... What the hell are you doing here?! Get away from me!" Nights exclaimed, having been woken up by the rattling. He scuttled, crab-like, over to the corner of the cage farthest away from Reala. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Nights' vision began to clear. Only then did he see how haggard and run-down Reala really looked. The black-and-red jester's eye makeup was smeared down his face, and he had a large kink in the left horn of his hat from when he caught it in the window. His right eye was black and swollen shut. He rattled the cage again, as if trying to say something.

"Wow, Reala... What happened to-- whoa!" Nights exclaimed as Reala suddenly passed out, falling flat on his face in front of the door of the cage. "Damn." Nights said to himself. "I can't get him in here." He began a mental dilemma with himself.

"Do I try to squeeze him through the bars or wait for some misguided kid to stumble upon the flamboyantly purple jester in the shiny cage? Hmm..." He alternatively moved his hands up and down like a scale, as if weighing the options in his hands. Finally he sighed and grabbed Reala's leg, trying to yank him through the bars. He got as far as getting one leg totally in before getting stuck. After all, Reala had two legs and Nights couldn't drag him in properly without splitting him in half in the process.

So now there was an unconscious dark jester and a mentally-struggling purple jester in a rural junction of Nightopia, and Nights did not like it.

He stood up (knocking his head on the uncomfortably low cage ceiling) and shouted, "COME ON YOU DAMN KIDS! UNLOCK THE CAGE!"

The next day, Reala awoke to find his leg stuck in a cage and an overly-concerned androgynous purple clown staring at him. "What happened...?" He asked woozily. "You flew at me, shook my cage, and passed out. I tried to pull you inside but as you can see, that didn't work so well." Nights replied, sitting cross-legged on the floor of the cage, bored and with his head tilted in his left hand.

"Clearly." Reala replied, trying to pull his leg free.

"So what happened to you?" Nights asked. Reala gasped as if he were afraid.

"Oh my God, don't make me re-live it...!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, take a chill pill and calm down. What happened?" Reala began to hyperventilate and sweat, causing his makeup to run even more and make him look like some sort of demonic freak. Nights reached out and slapped him upside the head.

"Thanks. Do it again." Nights complied gleefully, slapping Reala once again.

"Thanks. I needed that."

"Now are you going to tell me what's wrong or do I have to slap you again? 'Cause, honestly, I could do this all day. I'm stuck in a cage and I need to take my anger out on something."

"Wow, and I thought you were this justice-loving, tree-hugging, flamingly gay peacenik."

"Only when there's a small, impressionable child around. Gotta keep up the sweet, girly little facade, you know?"

"True."

"Sooo..."

"-sigh- Listen, Wizeman's getting... awful. It used to not be so bad working for him but I think he's gotten really cocky lately and he's gotten awful to live with. He beats me and Jackle up everyday over the stupidest things and it's like we're slaves rather than employees. But you know Jackle, he just thinks it's 'molding us into better henchmen' or some B-S that no one cares about. I want out. No, I _need _out. If I have to see one more eyeballed hand, I'm gonna puke."

Nights nodded.

"Ohhhh, I see. Come on."

"What, come on? You're in a cage."

"Yeah, and you're gonna join me."

"What? I don't wanna go in there."

"You think I like being in here any better? But once you're in here, you'll be officially in the 'I-Hate-Wizeman' club. Come on, join in, we've got jackets."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Just get your ass in the cage and we'll talk."

End of Chapter One


	2. Chapter 2

Note: Well, despite my _lack of reviews cough cough _for chapter One, I'm doing the second chapter because it's _eating away at my soul _leaving a cliffhanger for you all. I just re-read Blazing Fool's story Sherlock Roy and now have it's unique flavor of humor lodged in my brain, so please forgive me. This is a Romance/Humor, and my style tends to lean more towards Romance/Pure Insanity, or in this case, PURE iNSANiTY. See the NiGHTS pun there? LOL OMG CHTSPK Z SO LME LOL. No. Don't... shut up... -slaps self- Great. Now I have the hiccups. Ow! They're the pound-your-chest, hurty hiccups! -hic- Ow! -hic- Ow! -hic- Ow!

I don't own NiGHTS, Sonic Team does. I think... Is it Sonic Team? Whatever. Whoever they are, they aren't me.

Chapter Two... Um... Chapter Two. (Shut up, after 11 chapter titles in German, I'm not feeling particularly creative.)

After an hour of struggling, waving frantically, and some butter, Reala and Nights were joined in the (now uncomfortably small) golden cage. Reala pushed backwards against Nights, trying to create some nonexistent elbow room.

"Ow! Would you stop jabbing me?"

"You pulled me in here, you pay the price."

"Ow! That was my eye, you jackass!"

"I figured you'd look better with makeup anyway."

"What, like you, you pussy?"

"Now that just hurt." Reala said, insulted. He wiped away his smeared makeup with the back of his sleeve.

"Shut up, you know I'm only playing." Nights said apologetically. "Now, for your initiation."

"Initiation?" Reala asked in bored disbelief.

"Yes, initiation. This cage just doesn't hold me, it protects me, and to get under the little bubble of uberness, as I like to call it, you need one of these." Nights pulled a red gem from God-only-knows-where, identical to the one adorning the front of his purple suit.

"Great. So I'm stuck in a tiny cage, and have to wear a fruity gem on my chest?"

"Yes. And it's not 'fruity'. I think it's cute."

"So it's fruity."

"No, it's... -sigh- Yeah, alright, yeah, it's fruity." Nights jabbed the gem into Reala's chest and held it there until it stopped glowing. Reala gave Nights a quizzical look after the glow had subsided.

"You know, you can take your hand off me any second now, I wouldn't mind." Nights blinked back to reality and jerked his hand away. He gave a girlish nervous laugh and scratched his neck apologetically. (Wait... Nights has a neck? Hold on... inconsistency error...No, he doesn't, but for the sake of this story -and my sanity- Nights has a neck. OMG!)

"Sorry, the glow kinda spazzes my brain a bit..." Nights offered as an excuse. However, Reala wondered if it was truly the explanation, or -if that blush that had made it's way to the very tip of Nights' nose (Again, Nights doesn't have a nose but for the sake of my sanity... and my fan art...) was any indication- a cop-out for something more. Reala rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, you big fruit. Okay, the gem is fused to my flesh now. What now?"

"Nothing, really. That gem holds all kinds of magical uberness inside it. You'll be protected as long as you're either in here with me, or in control of some misguided spaz who finds his way here." Nights blinked. "And I'm not a fruit!" He added defensively, blushing heavily.

"You know, the blush is a good look on you. Matches with the _pink vest. _Fruit."

"I swear to God, Reala, keep it up. I'll 'fruit' all up and down your ass!"

"Oh, will you? Forgive me if I keep my pants on." Reala was getting a real good kick out of teasing the flamboyantly-dressed Nights. However, he overlooked the rage of the feminine jester and got a good one right in the eye.

"OW! You jackass, you punched me in the face!"

"No shit, Sherlock! You wouldn't shut up with the gay jokes!"

"Oh, so you admit you're gay, then?"

"_Shut the hell up!"_

"Um... excuse me?" Both Nights and Reala's heads snapped down to see a little boy, about twelve years of age, dark-haired and wide-eyed, standing next to the cage looking awfully awkward.

"Oh. Hi. What's your name, kid?"

"Mikey. Why are you yelling, ma'am?"

Nights flinched at being called "ma'am".

"I'm a boy, kid. And I was yelling because this moron won't stop making fun of me!"

"Well, maybe I wouldn't tease you so much if you didn't just hand me so much great material to work with!"

Mikey's head was flipping back and forth between the arguing jesters. He clutched tightly to the shimmering object in his hands, which glowed. Nights noticed the glow.

"Hey, an Ideya! Hey kid, see that shiny thing in your hand?"

"Yeah..."

"Throw it at Reala's head."

"WHAT?!"

"Shut up, Reala, I'll explain later. Come on kid, do it!"

The kid chucked the object at Reala, connecting and the resulting shock-wave cracked the cage enough that Nights could squeeze out and pull Reala with him.

"Thanks kid."

"Yeah, thanks for hitting me in the skull with a sphere of doom!" Reala said.

End of Chapter Two

Who is this Mikey person? Will Reala stop with the gay jokes? Where will this story go? Who knows?!


	3. Chapter 3

Note: Third chapter is underway, and I got two very sweet, very nice reviews that unfortunately, I can't share here but just click on the little button up there says "reviews" and see for yourself! Anyway, more witty humor is sure to follow.

Oh! And I'm not homophobic, just in case any of you were wondering. Reala's just teasing NiGHTS, don't worry.

I don't own NiGHTS, only a plushie of him that's chest gem lights up when you squeeze his tummy. Don't ask where I'm getting all these plushies. I make most of them myself.

Chapter Three... Chapter Three. Yay.

Mikey was feeling a bit awkward walking along the ground while Nights and Reala floated above him, arguing and causing a ruckus. Several Nightopians had to duck out of the way and one was currently on the ground, whining about a broken wing or something.

"Um, Mister Nights? What am I doing here?" Mikey finally asked. Nights flew down with a sickly sweet smile on his face.

"Nothing at all, kid. Once you wake up, you're gone."

"But I was in a car accident. I'm kind of in a coma."

"Oh. Well, in which case, you're kind of screwed, kid. There's places in Nightopia we're not protecting you from." Nights said.

"What do you mean?"

"Not in the job description, kid. Sorry, but you're on your own from here on out." Reala piped in. He flew away, Nights hot on his trail.

It was about an hour later, and Nights was beginning to feel guilty.

"Oh, suck it up you fruit. A good Nightmaren makeover would do wonders for that kid's skin." Reala said, floating leisurely along and filing his nails.

"But that kid was like, counting on us or something."

"Just an hour ago you were saying he's screwed and now you want to go back and help him? Make up your mind."

"And what about you? You all came to me for help and all you've been doing is making fun of me and calling me names." Nights said, tears beginning to form in his eyes. Reala couldn't look away from the bright teary blueness. It's like the tears were stabbing him in the soul and saying "Come on you dick! Apologize to him!" in his ear. Reala gave a strangled "g-gull-reeeeaaa-ll" noise and pulled at his collar awkwardly. Nights had his back turned childishly, hunched over with his bottom sticking out further like he was sitting on a chair. Y'know... an invisible chair that was 3500 feet above ground. Reala sighed. As much as he hated to admit it, and as nasty as he'd been to Nights in the past...

The l'il purple guy was right. Reala wasn't being very grateful for Nights' protection and help.

Reala was going to hate himself in the morning, and it probably the most sickening thing he ever did to himself, and he'd never EVER do it again, but...

Reala embraced Nights from behind quickly, then broke away and flew off before his face exploded from the red blush filling his cheeks.

Nights blinked as he felt the hug and turned around just to see Reala flying away. "Reala, wait!"

Reala didn't notice that the gem on his chest had stopped glowing red and started glowing an eerie black color.

"Reala!" Nights flew after Reala. "Reala, without that gem you're exposed!"

Suddenly, things went black for Reala. A large hand came out of nowhere and SMACK! Reala fell to the ground.

Nights flew down in a bullet formation, and caught up to him. He caught Reala and flew away, trying feebly to restore the protection in the gem.

"Come on, come on... No!" The hand came back out and tried to grab Reala from Nights' hands, but it was too late. Nights and Reala were grabbed and taken away.

End of Chapter 3


	4. Chapter 4

Note: Aw yeah. After reading some of my earlier works, then eating a three-day old roast beef sandwich, then eating enough marshmallows to fill the entire US Military, I think I've got enough crazy in me to fart out this chapter. I hope it's better then the last chapter...

I don't own NiGHTS, so don't ask. All I own is this plushie. His chest gem lights up and he says "APTIVA!" every time you squeeze his tummy.

Chapter Four

Nights came to in a dark, drab cell. "Oh come on!" He exclaimed. "I waited for a week for some punk to break me out of the cage and now I'm in here again!" Nights pulled futilely at his arms and legs, only to find that they'd been shackled to the stone wall. When he tried to move his torso, a blinding pain shot through him, causing him to yell out in pain and a trickle of blood to drip down to the floor from the corner of his mouth. He looked down and saw a large, but thin, stone spike jutting from his stomach.

"Well that isn't good." Nights commented dryly. He carefully, and painfully, slid up and out, over the spike until he was positioned uncomfortably next to it. He made a strangled noise.

The cell door opened, and a beaten and bloody Reala was thrown in, connecting with the wall.

"Reala!" Reala stood up shakily and lurched over, coughing up all kinds of blood and gunk and other precious bodily fluids. The cell was slammed shut again.

"Reala! Stand up! Talk to me!" Nights called desperately, yanking at his chains to no avail.

"Nights..." Reala coughed weakly, staggering over and clawing at Nights' bonds with his sharp, talon-like fingers.

"Reala, they're not going to come off. What happened? Where are we?"

"I-I don't know. After everything went black I woke up and they were doing horrible things to me. Then they just threw me in here."

"What kind of horrible things?"

". . . Either you're blind or just very clueless."

"What? What did I say?"

"I'm not wearing pants, Nights, you do the math."

". . . .Oh." Nights pulled at his bonds harder. Something snapped in his brain.

"_I'll kill them! Sunavabitch, I'll kill them all!_" He screamed, until the wound in his torso started gushing again and he was forced to stay still, but still he screamed and cursed until his voice got hoarse and scratchy. Reala tried feebly to calm the purple jester down.

"Nights, they'll hear you! Shut up! It's not that bad, I'm alright! Why do you care so much anyway?" Nights coughed out more blood and regained his composure.

"Reala, you and I were partners in crime, so to speak, for many years. When we separated, there was still something inside me that wouldn't let me hurt you. Even now, as we're essentially partners again, I can't bring myself to see you in this much pain. Partners, rivals, allies, call us what you want." Nights' voice dropped to so low a whisper that Reala had to strain to hear it. "Reala, no matter what you say. No matter what Wizeman thinks. No matter who tries to shatter us..." Reala nodded, urging Nights to go on.

"I'll always love you."

Reala's eyes grew wide as Nights snapped his head away in embarrassment, refusing to look at Reala.

"Nights..."

Nights sucked in breath and held it, only exhaling when more blood invaded his mouth and he was forced to cough it out.

"Nights, look at me."

Nights still refused to turn his head, instead opting to close his eyes and face towards the opposite wall.

"Nights, it doesn't matter to me who you love. All those fruit jokes before were just that: jokes. I was just playing with you, Nights. No matter how nasty I've been to you in the past, I never meant it. I was under Wizeman's control. But not anymore! I'm free from his tyranny now, and I can say this without care."

Nights flicked his head back a little to glance at Reala.

"Nights, I love you too."

Reala slowly floated up to embrace Nights, until Nights shouted in pain, due to Reala's gem brushing up against the wound in his stomach.

"First, we have to get you out of there." Reala noted, focusing power in his fingertips, as much as he could. He feebly tried to break the bonds, to little avail other than the bonds growing very hot and burning Nights' skin, causing the purple Nightmaren to shout.

Reala used the heat as a catalyst for a shatterpoint. Because you see, when metal heats up, it becomes malleable. And when it becomes malleable, it becomes brittle. Reala took the bones of the last unlucky Nightopian to end up in that cell, and shattered the bonds with it. Nights fell to the floor and collapsed. Reala rushed down to see if he was alright, and got a clinging-to in return. Reala embraced Nights now, properly.

"Nights, I swear we'll figure out how to get out of here."

Nights was out of it, completely loopy from pain and blood loss. Reala gave the purple jester a pat on the head.

"Man, that kid could really be of use to us right now..."

End of Chapter Four


	5. Chapter 5

Note: This is the fifth chapter. Yeeha! With Christmas coming soon I only want one thing. Well, two things. A Sega Saturn and NiGHTS: Into Dreams. Yes.

I don't own NiGHTS, but the lucky person who does is rich.

Chapter Five

"Nights, I have a question for you." Reala said softly, cradling Nights in his lap. The latter Nightmaren was flitting rapidly in and out of consciousness.

"Y-Yeah, Reala?" Nights whispered before he passed out again.

"Why did my gem flicker out? How'd we get captured?"

"D-dunno." Nights replied, his head bobbing, his eyes flittering rapidly as he struggled to say conscious. "I'll f-figger it out later..." He whispered in his high-pitched English tone. He coughed.

"Nights, come on, you have to stay with me. Stay awake, Nights, please!" Reala said desperately.

"Can't... I can't..."

"Nights, please! For the love of God!"

"Reala..." Nights fell unconscious.

"Nights! Nights!"

Evil laughter echoed through the cell.

"Who's there?! Who the hell are you!" Reala shouted, jumping up. A familiar giant hand crashed through the wall and grabbed him.

"Ah! Wizeman!"

_"Thought you could outwit me, eh, you traitor? Thought you could run off when all I needed was that spark of affection towards Nights to slip up your protection and alert me? Thought you could run away when I have Nightmarens tracking your every bloody move?" _

"Wizeman, let go of me! Nights! Nights!"

_"Yes, boy, call for Nights. Nights can't help you! Nights is in Dreamland." _

Reala struggled and fought back.

"I won't let you hurt him!"

_"What's this, boy? Your greatest adversary and you refuse to allow me to touch him? How... possessive of you, Reala." _

"Get off of me!" Reala burst free. "You can hurt me all you want but when you mess with Nights I get mad!"

_"Boy, your foolish ideas will get you killed!" _The hand came slamming down, connecting with Reala and knocking him to the floor. Extreme shooting pain and sudden numbness alerted Reala that his leg was broken. Oh well, I'll just fly, he thought.

The sound jolted Nights back to reality and he flittered awake. He saw the debris and the fight but could only struggle to stand. He managed to get up on one knee before he was knocked back down again by the sheer G-force of Wizeman's fist slamming into the floor.

Reala found himself battered on the floor again. Wizeman loved kickin' 'em while they were down. He slammed into Reala again and again, pounding the Nightmaren to a pulp. Nights saw the damage and got really, really pissy.

He started paralooping like hell around Wizeman's hand, the force of the spin enough to break the outer shell.

"YOU STUPID SON OF A BITCH! YOU DARED TO HURT HIM! HOW DID YOU FIND US? WHY DO YOU HATE US!"

_"You're both traitors! First you, then him? You betrayed me! Your creator! Your father!"_

"A father is someone who cares for the children he creates! Raises them right! You're no father to me!" Nights shouted.

"Nights, stop! You'll only hurt yourself!" Reala called, through blood and broken bones.

_"Boy, you'll get yourself killed along with him!" _Wizeman broke Nights' paraloop, knocking Nights to the ground once again.

_"There is no Nights!!!!" _

Reala stiffened, and flew up and around, despite his broken bones. He tried his best to imitate Nights' paraloop, but at best only got a wobbly flight path. Still, he stuck on and wouldn't give up. Soon, Nights joined him and they flew in opposite directions, confusing Wizeman and shattering his hand. The thunderous yell of pain echoed through the cell and faded.

_"You win this time, you treacherous beasts! You haven't heard the last of Wizeman the Wicked!"_

"Shove it up your ass, 'Daddy'!" Nights mocked, shaking his fist at the sky. Wait, the sky? The sky!

Nights realized there was a huge hole in the cell they could escape through. He picked up Reala and flew out, still bleeding but not caring.

"We'll be alright, Nights. Let's get somewhere safe."

"There is no where safe. The cage is broken, we're exposed to all Wizeman's tricks."

"Don't talk like that, Nights. We'll find something safe."

End Chapter


	6. Chapter 6

Note: Come on, folks! It's not every day someone makes an ass-kicking story like this! Read it!

I don't own NiGHTS, I'm just borrowing him for my own use for a little while.

Chapter Six

Nights stoked the fire in the small cave him and Reala found near the border of Nightopia and Nightmare. Nights, having lost so much blood before, was cold to the point where his chattering teeth were starting to annoy Reala. There was dried blood crusted on the both of them, and Nights had found out the hard way that blood was uncomfortable in your clothes once it dries. Reala had broken both of his legs and six ribs in the fight, and Nights still had a half-healed, gaping wound in his chest area, leaving his suit torn open at the front and back, in a large circle.

"Back up a little, Nights. If you sit any closer to the fire you'll go up in flames."

"But I'm c-c-cold!" Nights stuttered through chattering teeth, hugging himself and curling up in a tight ball.

"Nights, I know you're cold. I'm cold too. It's night time in Nightmare. It's cold now. And you've lost almost half of all your blood. Come here, we'll huddle up." Reala beckoned Nights over. Nights scrambled to join Reala on the other side of the fire. They huddled close, Reala on Nights' lap because if it were the other way around, Nights would have crushed Reala's already-shattered bones. Nights' shivering slowed down and he almost stopped. It was a barely-visible vibration now.

"See? That's better, you're already warming up."

Nights began to cry.

"Nights? Come on, stop crying. You're scaring me."

"It's just... this is only... a temporary fix, Reala. We can't stay here forever. It's cold and dark and unprotected." Nights said between hucks and sobs.

"I know, but it'll do for now until we both heal up. I've got two broken legs and you've got a hole in you the size of Wizeman's ego." Reala joked, fingering the hole gently, trying to probe how deep it went. Nights cried out.

"Did I hurt you?!" Reala asked quickly.

"Yes." Nights replied.

"Sorry." Reala apologized. He took his hand away. The hole had stopped bleeding but was still raw and painful, like an infected burn. Nights' wrists still ached from the burn of the chains, too. And he had the most splitting headache. He wiped his teary eyes and held Reala.

"Listen, as soon as I'm okay enough to fly again, I'll go off and find somewhere a bit less exposed. We'll be safe." Reala twisted around to look at Nights properly, leaving his legs twisted at a normally-impossible angle. Nights saw the angle of his legs and began to cry again.

"Nights! Nights, calm down!"

"But your legs! Your legs!"

"Yes, they're broken, I know. They'll be alright in six to eight weeks. My ribs are broken, too. And you've got a hole in your chest and burnt wrists, not to mention a concussion. Just calm down, stop crying. Save your fluids, man."

"O-okay..." Nights sniffled and shivered for a few moments longer. Reala patted him on the head.

"There you go. It's late. Let's get a little sleep, and then we'll be alright in the morning."

Nights couldn't get any sleep that night. It was too dark, too forbidding, and most of all, too painful. Reala slept fitfully by his side, his broken bones painfully reminding him of reality.

Reala awoke to the sound of soft singing from... somewhere.

He blearily looked around and saw Nights singing a tune to himself as he set out some fish.

"Good morning." He said in a sad, sleepy voice. "I thought you might be hungry, so I caught some fishies." He said quietly. His voice sounded oddly like a child's when he talked that softly. Reala dragged himself closer.

"You got these?"

"Uh-huh. There's a stream over that way." Nights pointed in a direction over Reala's shoulder.

"Eat. We have to get some strength back." Nights said, taking a small bite of some odd purple fish.

End of Chapter


	7. Chapter 7

Note: Well, after watching the (surprisingly dry) DVD on the making of Journey of Dreams, I feel inspired to make this chapter kick ass and high powered in order to make up for it. In this chapter, we will have:

Fighting!

Arguing!

Gay jokes!

Semi-trashy-Nightmaren-Porn!

And last but not least:

More Wizeman abuse! Whoo!

-edit- Ugh, interim notices come out tomorrow and I know I'm failing a lot of classes. I am so dead... -weeps pathetically- So excuse me if you don't see updates for a while... it's kind of hard to type from Hell. Believe me, I know. My laptop keys kept melting from the eternal inferno.

I don't own NiGHTS. I'm just borrowing him for a while.

Chapter Seven

"Reala, do you think we'll ever be the same? Do you think we'll ever be good enough to fly freely again?" Nights asked timidly. He fingered the hole in his chest gently. It was healing nicely, but it still stung like a bitch if he twisted the wrong way.

"How should I know? We've never been beaten this badly before." Reala answered, bending his legs slightly. He'd gained free use of them, but they were still broken and he still couldn't fly straight or put weight on them.

Nights sighed and scuttled closer to the fire.

"Nights, we'll be fine." Nights looked up at him.

"I was never a good Nightmaren, was I?" He asked.

"What do you mean, Nights?"

"Wizeman created us to do his bidding. To steal Ideya from little kids. But I was never very good, was I?" Reala made his way over and stroked the side of Nights' face gently.

"It wasn't that you weren't good. You were great. Superb, even. You have a mind of your own, is all, and that caused you to run off. I don't blame you." Nights nuzzled into the hand on his cheek.

"I was good?"

"You were better than me. Kids didn't seem so scared of you, and they went right up to you. I tended to frighten off the kids I was trying to attack."

"Probably because I'm dressed like some street walker..." Nights pouted.

"Despite your flamboyant clothing, you were still better than me." Reala turned to face Nights properly. He leaned in and captured Nights' lips with his own.

Nights was surprised, it has to be said, but reciprocated the kiss and held Reala close. Reala turned his head so their lips could mesh together more comfortably.

Words could not describe the emotions and thoughts shooting through Nights' mind. It felt like every nerve in his body was on fire...

And he didn't want it to _stop. _He clutched onto Reala for dear life, as if letting go would bring about death.

Reala was surprised at his own actions, having been raised that emotions were for lesser beings. He was brought up hating his mind, and his feelings, and now he was expressing them in a manner most extreme. But as an act of rebellion, and love, and everything he was brought up to hate, he held Nights as if he were fragile paper, if he held to tight Nights would crumple and tear, too loose and he would fly away with the slightest breeze, his lips soft and smooth and beautiful.

The fire crackled behind them in a subtle warning.

The need for air finally broke the passionate kiss, Nights pulling away with a strangled gasp for air.

"Reala, that was..."

"Yes?"

Nights smiled and nuzzled Reala under his chin, pushing his head into Reala's chest like a puppy wanting attention.

The fire continued it's subtle warning.

"Nights, do you notice something about that fire?"

"What about it?"

"If you look in the middle, the shape the flames make sort of looks like--" Reala never got the last word out, as the wall shattering behind him drowned out his words and slammed him to the ground. Nights fell with him, landing next to him.

_"Boy, you didn't think I'd leave for good? I'm back, and you'll both pay for your insolence!"_

"Wizeman!" Nights cried, tears forming in his bright aqua eyes.

_"Damn straight, boy! Now you'll see that one less hand will not sway me!"_

Wizeman had shown up in the flesh. Reala growled and attempted to stand on his broken bones and failed. Wizeman thundered through with a booming laugh.

_"Boy, I don't know why I bother! You're so weak, I should leave you to die here!"_

Reala used both Nights and the wall behind him to struggle upright.

"I'm not weak!" He insisted, almost stumbling but Nights held him upright.

_"Not weak? Ha! Look at you! You're hanging onto this flamboyant little pansy for the smallest support. Who could say you're not weak?" _Wizeman attempted to flatten them with a giant stone hand. Nights picked Reala up and jumped out of the way before they both got crushed.

"Nights, we can't take him alone. We're weak and injured. What do we do?"

"If I may paraphrase you, my friend, that kid could really be of use to us."

End of Chapter


	8. Chapter 8

Note: Wow. I'm so tired right now... -falls asleep- -is shaken awake by an angry horde of readers with pitchforks- Ow! Okay, okay, I'm up, I'm up! God, you people are worse than my mother!

I don't own NiGHTS, and I never will, only in my dreams. AHEM. I said, ONLY IN MY DREAMS!

NiGHTS: I'm on my lunch break, call back later.

Wha-what? Lunch break? You're a Nightmaren! Do you even eat lunch? Oh, never mind. Just... get on with the damn chapter.

Chapter Eight

Wizeman continued his assault, and Nights and Reala only barely managed to survive the first few minutes. Reala was getting skittish. "Nights, we have to do something, now! We're not gonna last much longer!"

Nights panted and coughed in reply, having been tired out from constantly jumping and running and floating and dodging through all of Wizeman's attacks.

_"Ready to surrender?" _Wizeman thundered arrogantly.

"Never! Just... give us a few minutes." Reala pleaded.

_"Ah hahahahhaha! HA HA ha ah a ha ah ah! Me, relinquish your time? You must be joking!" _

"Please, just give us some time! This isn't fair!"

_"You think I care about what is fair? You think I'll give you time? Never! I'll crush you both and you'll never be a thorn in my side again!!" _Wizeman slammed a hand into Reala, crushing him beneath a ton of stone.

"REALA!" Nights screamed, forcing Wizeman's hand off.

_"Boy, you're really testing my patience!" _

Nights began crying madly, holding Reala (who was feebly gasping for air) and crying up at Wizeman, "Don't you see what you've done? All anyone wants is a chance! You've taken the chance away from so many children! You've taken this chance away from us! How cruel can you be to attempt to murder your only two children in the world?"

Wizeman stumbled back in shock.

"And another thing! I've visited the waking world! It's a scary place now that you've ruined the dreams of so many children! There's crime and filth everywhere! There's murders and drug deals and rapes on the streets all the time! Because no one has a dream to look forward to! You've ruined the world, are you happy now?! Are you happy!" Nights screamed at Wizeman, crying hysterically.

_"Boy, you think I care about the state of the waking world? It's no matter to me!" _Wizeman thundered, re-gaining his composure.

"Well, it should! That world is directly connected to ours! Or haven't you noticed, in your narrow-minded, stupid view, that our world is slowly falling apart?!"

_"It doesn't matter to me! The waking world is no matter! It's this world I want, and I can't have this world as long as you two are alive!"_

"Nights... look at me..." Reala's voice drifted feebly to Nights' senses. He snapped his head down.

"Just run away, Nights. Leave me here, there's nothing you can do. You can fight him. You can go on, alone. Don't worry about me. I love you..." Reala's head flopped to the side, as he took a few rattling breaths.

"No, Reala, stay with me! You're coming with me! Reala, stay awake! If you have a concussion, you might never wake up!"

_"Ah hahahahahahahha! One thorn in my side, plucked! Now to shatter the other!"_

Nights' eyes got narrow, the pupils shrinking into cat-like slits. The blue began to glow an eerie yellow, making Nights look like an oddly-shaped street lamp. He flew at Wizeman viciously, sharp teeth and nails making their first appearance in many years.

"You son of a bitch! He's your creation! Your child! And you killed him!"

Nights slashed Wizeman's face brutally, scoring large gashes in his stony mask. Wizeman swiped at the purple jester with his large hands, but Nights deftly dodged every smack.

"YOU KILLED HIM!!!" Nights, believing Reala to be dead, slowly but surely began to break down and fall further down until he was at Reala's side, weeping softly.

Reala took one gasping, rattling breath and struggled. He struggled and struggled and managed to get his hand up to the side of Nights' head.

"Reala..."

"I'm... not dead yet... Nights..."

"Reala, don't leave me! I'll never give up on you!"

The gem on Nights' chest faded its ruby color and glowed a brilliant gold. Reala's gem shone too, in an equally-brilliant white.

_"The Ideya of Hope and Purity? NOOOOOO!" _Wizeman's hands flew up as he tried to shield his vision from the radiant glow.

_"It's the most common Ideya... yet so powerful! Aaaggghhh!" _Wizeman gasped as the glow deteriorated his shielding rapidly as he collapsed and shrunk until he was nothing but a smoking pile, small and insignificant.

Reala gasped for air and finally filled his lungs. The glow subsided.

End of Chapter Eight


	9. Chapter 9

Note: This story is swaying away from my original Romance/Humor ideya (lol bad pun sorry) and mooshed (I make up words, stfu) towards Romance/Drama. Hmm. Well, I'm keeping it the way it is because it's gonna have more humor, I promise.

Also, note I'm using the town of Twin Seeds in the story, only because Journey of Dreams JUST came out and I want everybody to have a chance to play the game and become acquainted with it before I start referencing Bellbridge. Okay?

I don't own NiGHTS, I'm just borrowing him for a while. I'll give him back, I promise! Really!

Chapter Nine

Nights blinked a few times to restore his vision. He looked down and saw he was fully healed. No more hole through his chest. He looked down further and saw Reala smiling up at him, as Reala mouthed out the words, "Thank you." Nights' vision began to blue again, this time with tears of joy as he held Reala close.

"Reala... Are you... okay?" Nights whispered, his voice taking on its soft child-like quality.

"Much better now, thanks to you."

"How did that happen?" Nights asked, looking towards the tiny smoking pile that used to be the baddest dude in all of dream land.

"Your hope, Nights. Your hope shone through as you tried to save me. You believed in me and that set off a chain reaction."

"No, I mean how did you have the Ideya of Purity when you used to be _his _right-hand man?" Reala let out a chuckle.

"I'm sure I don't know. But what I do know, is..." He sighed happily. "You saved my life, Nights. And I love you."

Nights held Reala close. Reala broke the embrace and captured Nights' lips once again.

This time, Nights knew what was going on. And Reala wasn't so hesitant.

That brilliant glow started again, rising higher, higher, higher, until the glow enveloped all of Nightopia, Nightmare...

And the waking world.

Everything that had fallen to shreds in Wizeman's rule was restored. Trees that had been felled, buildings that had been corrupted...

Dreamers that had been ruined. Everything was set right.

Especially for one little boy.

Mikey stumbled through the glow until he landed near the cave.

Nights broke the kiss and looked down at the child.

"Mikey..." Nights started.

"Listen, kid, we're sorry for abandoning you..." Reala piped in.

Mikey smiled and held out a hand. "It's okay." He said. "You did what you had to. This ball showed me what happened, and I'm sorry too. I was kind of a burden when I should have been an asset." Mikey held out his Ideya, one of Wisdom.

"Well, kid, if you'll look, it looks like you're waking up." Reala grinned.

Mikey looked down at his body, which was dematerializing.

"It's a miracle! I'm gonna wake up! Thank you so much!" He exclaimed. "I'll never forget you...!" His last words echoed through Nightopia. The Nightopians celebrated. The Nightmarens, or former Nightmarens, now returned to their Nightopian state, threw down their swords and weapons and held their arms to the sky in thanks.

"Well, Nights, we've found each other, saved the world, destroyed evil, nearly died in the process, and restored order. What do you want to do now?" Reala asked.

"Well, honestly, I think a cheeseburger would really hit the spot now."

"Ah ha! I hear that!" Nights and Reala flew off into the sky, heading for the waking world and the familiar town of Twin Seeds.

End of Story


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